Brinkman Adventures presents Freedom: William Bradford and the American Pilgrims, a 5-hour audio drama written and directed by Ian Bultman. Jared DePasquale composed the original music. Brinkman Adventures is a "non-profit, non-denominational Christian organization dedicated to inspiring, motivating and facilitating the next generation of Christian world changers."

The 5-hour audio drama is broken up into two parts. Part 1 is a 2 CD set with six episodes and a running time of approximately 120 minutes. The trifold case includes a map of New England in the Year of Our Lord 1625. On the other side of the map is a list of characters and a brief description of who they are and their role in early America. There is also a copy of the first page of Governor Bradford's Handwritten Book, Of Plymouth Plantation.

 Part 2 is a 3 CD set with seven episodes and a running time of approximately 185 minutes. The price for Part 1 of Freedom: William Bradford and the American Pilgrims is $22.99 for physical CDs and $19.99 for a digital download. The price for Part 2 of Freedom: William Bradford and the American Pilgrims is $22.99 for physical CDs and $19.99 for a digital download.

Brinkman Adventures suggests this audio drama for ages twelve to adult. This two-part audio drama is perfect for homeschool use. Here are some suggested options. Parents looking for a way to make history come alive need not look any further. Parents could listen to all thirteen episodes and create a quiz or test. Parents could give their children a list of topics to research further.

There is a great YouTube video that Jared DePasquale made about how he went about composing the score for Freedom: William Bradford and the American Pilgrims. Students could listen to the video and then research the different instruments used to create the music heard throughout the audio drama.

For a child who struggles with staying focused while listening, parents may want to find an activity that they can do while listening that helps keep them engaged. This audio drama would be perfect for a long road trip. This is an audio drama that the whole family can sit together and enjoy.

Freedom: William Bradford and the American Pilgrims takes listeners on an adventure back in time four hundred years ago when families boarded the Mayflower to sail across the ocean for the New World. The audio drama transitions from the modern day to 1620 as the story is told. Jack Brinkman and his son Ian go to Plymouth and go into the museum and meet a man named Seth, a historian. He tells them interesting facts about William Bradford and what was happening during that time. The drama goes back and forth between the two time periods as Seth tells Jack and Ian the historically accurate story of William Bradford, the many men who played a part in changing history, and the Pilgrims. Since the 2 CDs are broken down into episodes, it is ideal for listening to the audio drama in small increments.

Jared DePasquale, who composed the score for Freedom: William Bradford and the American Pilgrims, did a phenomenal job. He has the ability to find and use instruments that produce the perfect sounds and music to blend with the storyline. As I listened, I could predict what may happen by how the music builds or the instrument used. When listening to an audio drama, the music is just as important as the actual story being told.

Our family owns many Brinkman Adventures CDs, so I was extremely excited about the chance to review Freedom: William Bradford and the American Pilgrims. Audio dramas are an excellent way to learn history. With a bit of imagination, focused listening, and 5 hours children (and parents) will learn about the dangers faced by the Pilgrims as they came over on the Mayflower and about celebrating their first Thanksgiving. Much like words in a book, the music and character voices in an audio drama lend the mind to imagine and create images while listening.

I highly recommend Freedom: William Bradford and the American Pilgrims. Ian Bultman, the writer and director, worked tirelessly to ensure historical accuracy. The story was engaging, and the music composed by Jared DePasquale was fabulous. 

-Product review by Jennifer Ladewig, The Old Schoolhouse® July 2022